Girls of the Unknown
by Hisha P
Summary: Little snippets of the girls' life after the brothers left the Unknown. Set in the same continuity as A Light For the Lost.
1. House Repairs

Notes : The first three chapters take place before my other fic _A Light For the Lost_.

Just like in that fic, I decided to use the fan-name Clover for the Woodsman's daughter.

* * *

_House Repairs_

Finally, everyone in Beatrice's family was human again. Finally, they could go back to their home by the river. They had to abandon it after their transformation since it wasn't quite adapted to bluebirds. Which was almost funny, considering how these were everywhere in the house from the decorations to the logo on the potato sacks.

They didn't know what exactly happened in their absence, but they found the mill destroyed. The other half of the building turned out to be pretty much intact, however. It even was much less dusty than they expected after their long absence.

Beatrice knew why. Of course, she wasn't there when Wirt and Greg were brought here by the Woodsman but they had told her about it. Therefore, while they were figuring out what they needed for the repairs, she told her family the story of how the mill got in such a state.

Her parents didn't seem pleased to find out some stranger had occupied their house without asking first but it was too late to do anything about it now. Plus, now that the snow outside was melting away, house repairs were the priority.

While everyone else was helping to fix the roof, two of Beatrice's younger siblings decided to go look for the dog who had wandered off again. However, the family pet wasn't the only thing they found : coming towards them were two visitors.

As the little group approached the house, Beatrice (who was holding the ladder for her father on the roof) recognised one of the visitors as the Woodsman ; however the teenage girl accompanying him was a complete stranger to her.

"Mom, dad!" Beatrice's younger siblings called. "The mister who lived in our house said he wanted to help fix it!"

"…And then I told my father I'd like to see where he lived before he went back to our home" the Woodsman's daughter (who went by the name of Clover) explained to Beatrice as they were cleaning the house with the children. "We met your siblings, helped them find your dog, talked a bit… and Father decided he should probably give your parents a hand."

"Is that his way of saying 'sorry I used your house without permission'?" Beatrice asked while dusting her own nightstand.

"Guess so", Clover replied while cleaning the window.

Seeing that the two teenagers were doing a good enough job on their own cleaning Beatrice's bedroom, the children soon left them to take care of the rest of the house. A few minutes later the room was spotless.

"You were there when my father killed the Beast, weren't you?" Clover asked.

The redhead sat on her bed and stared at the window for a few seconds before replying :

"We left the clearing before it happened. I think we wanted to put as much distance between us and the Beast as possible. It was only when we heard him scream in agony that we stopped."

"And then?"

"Wirt used the scissors to turn me back into a human, we said goodbye and he and his Greg disappeared. End of story. Now why don't we go see how your father and my parents are doing in the mill?"

Beatrice stood up and left the room before the brunette could ask any more questions.

As it turned out, the adults were doing just fine on their own and didn't really need the teenagers' assistance at the moment ; therefore Beatrice sat by the river with her dog to her left and the Woodsman's daughter to her right.

For the longest time, neither of them produced any sound.

"About the scissors and turning back to human…" Clover started tentatively.

"We've talked enough about me", the redhead stated. "What about you?"

"We've been talking about me all afternoon…" the brunette pointed out.

The silence came back, only troubled by the sounds of the river.

"If you don't want to talk about it, fine", Clover finally said. "We can talk about something else. Or not at all. Both are good."

Beatrice smiled faintly. Once again she had someone around her age to talk to, which was good ; however what she really needed at that very moment might be someone to be silent with. She had just met this girl and yet it already looked like she could be both.

The two teenagers remained there without uttering a word until the dog got bored and went back to the house.

"Let's get back inside too, it's getting cold here" the redhead said.

Her parents invited the Woodsman and his daughter to stay overnight and they gladly accepted as it was getting late and their home was quite far.

"You sure you don't mind sharing your bed with me?" Clover asked her new friend as they went back to the latter's room for the night.

"It's not like you have a choice", Beatrice shrugged. "Where else would you sleep, on the floor? Or you could go with my siblings but you'd have to share a bed too. You might as well stay here."

The Woodsman's daughter nodded, smiling slightly as she too got ready for bed. Then both teenagers proceeded to have the best night sleep they ever had.


	2. Closer

_Closer_

The Woodsman and his daughter stayed until the house repairs were complete and then went back to their own home with the promise of visiting again some day.

Beatrice hoped it would be soon : Clover had been gone for only a day and yet she already missed her. She missed the conversations they had while repairing the mill with the adults or cleaning the house with the children. She missed the silence when they sat by the river or looked through the window.

The teenager shook her head : it wasn't like she wouldn't see her again! Unlike Wirt and Greg, Clover had no intention of leaving the Unknown. She could visit whenever she wanted. Hopefully soon.

Clover found a bluebird nest in the forest while taking a walk and couldn't help but smile. She wondered what Beatrice was doing at this very moment. She hadn't seen her in two weeks but it felt like forever. Maybe she was sitting by the river with her dog? According to her it was the only place she could get some peace and quiet while still being on her parents' property.

Clover really didn't mind how noisy Beatrice's household could get with all the children running around (then again, she didn't have to put up with this every single day), however sitting in silence by the river with her friend definitely was her favourite part of her stay there.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Woodsman calling her name ; she rushed to their cabin immediately.

"I'm here, Father" she reassured him. "I just thought… since there's no Beast anymore I could just take a walk."

"It's alright", the Woodsman said as his daughter hugged him and he hugged her back. "But tell me beforehand next time."

"Father, I just got you back, I'm not going anywhere without you. And… speaking of going anywhere, we should visit Beatrice again like we said we would. Or we could invite her here, I'm sure she'd like how quiet it is."

"We'll discuss it when I'm done with all the firewood."

After a whole month without seeing her friend, Beatrice finally spotted her from the window of her bedroom. Without even thinking about it, she immediately dashed straight outside to meet her. Upon seeing the redhead, Clover also started running ; this resulted in both teenagers bumping into each other and falling on the ground. The Woodsman's daughter burst into laughter, soon joined by her friend.

Her father helped them get back on their feet. Even he was smiling.

From this day on, the Woodsman and his daughter visited the old mill at least once a week. She would spend the entire day with Beatrice and he would help the other adults with various tasks since manual labour was far easier to him than social interactions. And also because he didn't really know what else to do while at the mill. However, seeing his daughter happy was worth every single second spent in this place.

He witnessed the two teenagers growing closer to one another every week that passed. Maybe all Clover really needed was a best friend.


	3. Kiss

_Kiss_

It was late at night, yet Beatrice and Clover were still wide awake, sitting on the bed and trying to read a book together by candlelight. The redhead was holding the book and the brunette was holding the candle.

"Wait, what's this word, I can't see…" Clover asked for the third time in the last fifteen minutes.

"How about I just read it to you so you stop asking that question?"

"Sounds good."

She listened to Beatrice read the words aloud. Soon enough, her gaze left the book completely and settled on her friend's face. And her moving lips. She barely heard anything the other girl was reading now. Instead she realised just how close to one another their bodies were, hips and shoulder touching. They had found each other in this position multiple times before, why did it feel… different lately?

The sudden silence followed by the redhead's slightly annoyed hum brought Clover back to reality ; she finally noticed she had lowered the candle a bit too much and let a few drops of wax drip on the wooden floor.

She promptly apologised and held the candle upright again.

"If you're tired, why don't you say so instead of dripping wax everywhere?" Beatrice asked.

"I'm not tired, I just was…distracted and…"

Clover hoped her friend couldn't see her blushing in the dim light.

"And what? If something's wrong, tell me, I'm not a mind reader you know!"

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. How could she explain what was going through her mind? How could she explain to her best friend that part of her wanted to slowly inch away from her while the other part wanted to get even closer? How could she explain that the other part was wining?

She set the candle on the nightstand, her eyes going back and forth between Beatrice's eyes and her lips the whole time. The next thing she knew, their lips were touching. Then, just as quickly, Clover backed away and stood up while apologising profusely.

She turned around and headed for the door ; right before she could reach the handle, the redhead joined her and grabbed her arm.

"Clover, you can't just leave in the middle of the night!"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -"

"It's – it's ok, it was just really sudden and… Warn me next time."

"Next time? You… you want a next time?"

It was Beatrice's turn to blush now even though the darkness hid it from her friend's eyes.

"Hum… m-maybe?"

Neither of them was entirely sure which one kissed the other first this time.


	4. Tough Decision

Notes : an anonymous reviewer pointed out that there was no indication that this fic would include romance. Good observation, whoever you are! I had forgotten to tag it as "romance", sorry about that. Now it is done! :)

Though, this one chapter focus less on romance and more on certain events of my previous fic_ A Light For the Lost_. Actually, it takes place during and right after _A Light For the Lost_ so you might want to read it first in order to understand what's going on and avoid spoilers.

* * *

_Tough Decision_

"She didn't recognise us… or her own name…" Clover whispered, still in shock as the teenager formerly known as Aileen was walking away. Her very soul had been tainted : was it too late?

"When we first met her she said she didn't want to hurt anyone", Beatrice remembered. "And now she's become the Beast! She has forgotten more than her name. You said it yourself : Aileen is lost. Forever."

The brunette let go of her girlfriend's hand.

"Do you think we can still bring her back?" she asked.

"Somehow, I doubt it. I told you before we shouldn't have let her leave my house alone! Who knows how many people she's killed over the past few months just to keep herself alive! We have to stop her. All we have to do is take the lantern from her and -"

"You want to _kill_ her", Clover interrupted.

"Aileen's already dead", the redhead stated. "It's the Beast we have to stop. Just like your father did before us."

The Woodsman's daughter fell silent. Was there no other way? Maybe she should talk to her father about – wait, no, he felt guilty enough for not hiding the Dark Lantern ; it was best he didn't know about the new Beast.

In the distance, Beatrice and Clover could hear her singing a song neither of the two residents of the Unknown knew. They followed the voice quietly, careful to stop moving whenever the monster took a breath so she didn't hear them.

It sure was a tough decision to make but it had to be done.

They had done it. They had beaten the new Beast. She was still standing in the same pose but her eyes were no longer glowing ; they just looked dead and empty. The dead creature didn't seem to turn into a tree like her predecessor just yet. It would probably take some time.

Clover ran to her cabin, retrieved her father's shovel while he was busy somewhere else then got back to her girlfriend.

"We should bury her somewhere before she takes roots", she said. "But… not right here, Father could see us."

Neither she nor Beatrice dared to look at the body more than a few seconds at a time while transporting it : even with those two short branches coming out of its head it still looked just like Aileen.

Once the two teenagers decided they were far enough from the Woodsman's cabin, they laid their burden on the ground and took turns digging and trying to figure out a way to destroy the Dark Lantern.

Smashing it with a big rock or against a tree didn't do any good. They therefore decided to go bury it in a different place as soon as the monster was underground and covered in leaves.

The sun was setting when they approached the cabin again.

"You know, Bea… I think Father will never really forgive himself for what he did" Clover explained while they put the shovel back in place with the other tools. "And he hasn't forgiven himself for not hiding the lantern properly either. It's best if he never knows about… this."

"I guess you're right" Beatrice replied as they entered the next room. "It's best not to say anything."

"About what?" asked the Woodsman who, as it turned out, was waiting for them inside.

"Oh, cheese and crackers…" the redhead whispered.

"And where were you?" Clover's father continued. "I was just about to go look for you in the woods!"

"Sorry Father, we were just… we didn't notice it was getting this late…"

His face softened.

"Time flies when you are with someone you love."

He then left the room without any other comments ; the two teenagers blinked a few times in confusion.

"Wait, he knows about us?" Beatrice asked.

"I didn't tell him anything…" her girlfriend said.

They would have to deal with this later, as they found out another guest was in the cabin. Indeed, a young man lost in the forest had asked the Woodsman for shelter while the girls were outside. Maybe he was the one who unknowingly lead the Beast here? They would most likely never know.


	5. Aftermath

_Aftermath_

* * *

The morning after the incident, the lost stranger left the cabin, guided by the Woodsman. The two lovers were therefore more alone than they had ever been since the day they met. They really didn't mind. Or at least Beatrice didn't ; Clover was just sitting on her bed and staring into space.

"Are you alright?" her girlfriend asked as she sat next to her.

"'Just thinking… about yesterday."

"We had no choice", the redhead pointed out once more.

"I know. Even as I felt the Beast's soul in hers I wanted to hope we could still help her, but now that I've had time to think… if even her soul was corrupted, what else could we have done? She was more Beast than Aileen."

"Wait, what? What do you mean you felt – nevermind. Let's… not dwell on this too much, ok Clover?"

Beatrice would rather try to forget this whole affair.

"I guess I need – we need to clear our heads", the brunette said.

"Clear our heads or '_clear our heads_'?"

"…Both sound good. Also we don't have to worry about being heard for once!"

The redhead couldn't help but smile at that last part. In her house, they always had to be careful not to make too much noise ; however, in Clover's home and with the Woodsman gone…

The opportunity was too good to pass up.

When the lovers went to the next room for a snack, they found Clover's father sitting on a chair in front of the unlit fireplace.

"F-Father?" the brunette asked, quickly letting go of her girlfriend's hand. "When did you come back?"

"I just arrived."

Both teenagers tried their best to muffle their sigh of relief. He didn't hear anything. Good.

The Woodsman rose from his chair and turned to Beatrice. It was the first time he ever saw her with her hair down and slightly dishevelled but he didn't comment on it.

"I promised your parents I would return you to them in the morning", he reminded her. "And I will whenever you're ready."

"Father?" Clover said hesitantly. "About… about Beatrice and I -"

"I know, dear. I've known for a while. You remind me so much of your mother and I…"

He couldn't bring himself to say anything else. Clover knew, without even needing to ask, that her father never truly recovered from her mother's death years ago.

Once everyone was ready to leave, they set out for Beatrice's home. This time, the two young lovers didn't need to make sure they were alone before holding hands.


	6. The Pasture

_The Pasture_

* * *

"Finally!" Beatrice exclaimed when, after a long walk through the forest and the pastures with her girlfriend, a little familiar hut appeared.

Adelaide's old home.

"I'm not so sure about this, Bea", Clover said.

"We wouldn't have to stay here forever, only until we find better somewhere else. It's not like Adelaide will need it anymore."

"I still don't get why you want to go here _now_. Plus we can't just take someone else's house like that…"

The girl in blue opened the door to the old hut, letting daylight enter it and revealing all the dust and spider webs that had appear since the last time she went there. Back then she was still a bluebird and her friends Wirt and Greg were still lost in the Unknown.

The mere memory of the teenage boy's face when he realised what Beatrice's initial plan actually was still punched her in the guts whenever she thought about it.

"Bea, are you listening?" her girlfriend asked. "I just asked you a question."

"Huh? Sorry, 'just thinking", the redhead apologised before finally entering the hut. "What was the question again?"

"Do you know if Adelaide had any family or anyone else that would mind if someone used her old house?"

Beatrice shrugged as Clover joined her inside. The brunette took a quick look into the room before speaking again :

"Well, at least her spirit isn't still here."

"What? How do you even know if-"

"How _don't_ you? It's so obvious!"

"…You're really weird sometimes" Beatrice pointed out, walking to the still open drawers and looking into it.

"You really can't sense these things?" the brunette asked. "You're like my father."

"Your father and everyone else but you, Clover."

The Woodsman's daughter opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. She had always thought her father was the odd one out ; could it be that she was wrong all along? Was she really the only one to perceive things the way she did? Did her girlfriend really think she was weird? Was she weird?

"And here it is!" Beatrice exclaimed, interrupting her partner's train of thoughts.

Before she could show what she had found, they heard someone coming through the door.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my sister's house?" the strange old woman who had just entered asked in a monotone voice.

Clover froze ; Beatrice stepped away from the drawers and towards her girlfriend.

"No-one had heard from Adelaide in a while so we went to check on her", she lied. "Looks like she's not here, she must have moved out, goodbye. Let's go, Clover."

The redhead grabbed her partner's hand and lead her towards the door only to find out another girl around their age was standing in the doorstep, blocking their way.

"You knew Adelaide?" the old woman asked.

"I… she was supposed to help me in exchange for a favour but it seems she disappeared", Beatrice explained, mixing the truth with lies. She couldn't tell Adelaide's sister what really happened, could she?

"And I was just accompanying her", Clover added while pointing at her partner.

While the latter was understandably nervous, the former was strangely calm.

"…I guess we better leave you two alone", the redhead stated.

"If you ever want to come over to our home and discuss all of this…" the third teenage girl started before giving the other two directions to her house.

She then stepped aside to let them leave.

The couple remained silent until the hut wasn't visible in the distance anymore.

"They both have a good soul", the brunette observed.

The girl in blue nodded. She figured her girlfriend knew what she was talking about.

"If you say so. But still, for a second I thought that old lady was going to eat me alive or something…"

"That's _my _job."

Beatrice froze in place, surprised to hear this from Clover of all people. The latter just smiled, grabbed her hand and lead her through the pasture and back home.


	7. Turtles

_Turtles_

Where did all the black turtles go? They used to be all around the Unknown. Lorna was quite skilled at spotting them by now and yet she hadn't found any in quite a while. They had left the area. Even Auntie Whispers didn't understand.

The teenager was determined to find out where they had gone and bring some to the old woman. It was the least she could do.

She couldn't remember venturing that far from her adopted aunt's house before. And the sun was setting on the forest : it was best to head back home immediately.

However, right as Lorna was about to go back the way she came, she spotted one of the creatures she was looking for. She smiled but didn't pick it up right away, as she needed to see where the animal was going. If it could guide her to wherever the others were…

To the girl's delight, it did. To her confusion, she found hundreds of little black turtles huddled up in the same spot on the forest ground. Lorna had never seen anything like this before.

She decided answers, if there were any, would have to wait : Auntie Whispers was certainly worrying about her right now and the teenager therefore couldn't linger here any longer. She could always come back later to investigate.

She picked up just enough turtles to fill her basket and promptly headed back home.

Lorna came back where the black turtles were a couple of times but still couldn't quite understand what was so special about this particular spot. Also, to add to the mystery, Auntie Whispers claimed that they tasted different than before, "like something was missing." And lastly, the girl had found a second, smaller group of these creatures further into the woods.

The turtles were looking for something, but what?

If whatever attracted them here wasn't visible on the surface, maybe it was hidden beneath it… She would have to move them out of the way and dig. No, she needed a shovel first, that would make things easier. She could find the closest house and ask if they had one. Wait, wouldn't they wonder why a stranger asked them a shovel? She would have to explain everything.

It took Lorna a while before finding a cabin in the woods. Next to it, two people were planting something into the earth. She recognised the two girls she met at late Adelaide's house. She could ask them for help!

"Hello?" she said as she approached.

The brunette stood up, leaving the seeds uncovered, while the redhead planted the shovel into the soil firmly. Both said hello back in perfect unison.

"I… I need your help for something", the girl with the bonnet said.

The other two glanced at each other, surprised. They obviously didn't expect her to visit, even less to ask them a favour.

"What's your problem?" the brunette asked, wiping her hands on her skirt.

Telling the truth seemed to be the best solution.

"I'm trying to figure out why are the black turtles all gathering in the same places over there and… I need your shovel."

"Wait, where did you say the turtles were?" the redhead enquired. "Can you show us?"

Lorna, Beatrice and Clover (who was now carrying her father's shovel) arrived where most of the critters were gathered. The former witnessed the other two gasp as they recognised the place.

"We mustn't dig here" the Woodsman's daughter stated, taking a step back then turning around to leave the place.

"She's right", Beatrice agreed while gently grabbing Lorna's arm. "Come with us. Where did you say your house was again?"

"What's going on?"

"Long story short, this is where the Beast is buried" the redhead explained. "Do I really need to say more?"

As soon as they caught up with Clover, the latter said :

"You have a beautiful soul, Lorna : I wouldn't want to see it corrupted like… like _she_ was."

Lorna had so many questions to ask she didn't quite know where to even start. However, there was one thing she did know : these two knew more than what they were willing to share. About the turtles, about the Beast… and maybe even about whatever happened to Auntie Whispers' sister. And she would get to the bottom of it one way or another.


	8. Questions

Note : About time I updated this fic, right?

Sorry for the wait ^^"

* * *

_Questions_

Clover and Beatrice accompanied the girl with the bonnet until the latter's home was visible in the distance then parted ways, the former two not wanting to bother the other inhabitant of the house.

"I'm back, Auntie!" Lorna called as she opened the door.

"Welcome back, my sweet child" Auntie Whispers replied, putting down the book she was reading, standing up and stepping away from the table and towards the teenager. "Have you found anything else this time?"

"Remember those two girls at your sister's house? I met them again today. I wanted to dig where the turtles were but they told me not to. They said the Beast was buried there."

"Of course…"

"But then…" Lorna said, "why are the turtles attracted to it? And why was there _two_ gathering of them? And what happened? How could the Beast be defeated? And if this is all linked to his defeat, how come the turtles reappeared for a few months then disappeared again? For every piece of answer I get, so many new questions pop up!"

"Where do these girls live?" the witch asked. "I must speak with them."

"I don't know where Beatrice lives, but I know the way to Clover's", the teenager stated.

"Very well", her aunt answered. "We shall go there tomorrow : it is getting late."

Lorna nodded, then remembered she was still standing in the doorway and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Without even being asked to, she went to check their food supply and started gathering ingredients for dinner.

Even though she remained silent all the while, she was asking herself more and more questions. What was happening to the Unknown? And why couldn't she shake off the feeling Auntie Whispers also knew more than she was willing to tell?

Maybe Lorna wasn't the only one with a dark secret, after all…

The fresh morning air nipped at Lorna's and Auntie Whisper's faces as they walked to their destination. On their way, they found the place where the Beast was reportedly buried, still covered in black turtles. They were barely moving now.

"That's only half of him, isn't it?" the old woman asked.

"I beg your pardon?" the teenager replied.

"You did say there were _two_ gatherings of black turtles, didn't you Lorna?"

"So someone cut him in half and buried him here?"

"No. The Beast has always been cut in half."

"What do you mean, Auntie?"

The witch did not reply and resumed her walking instead ; her adopted niece could only follow.

As they approached Clover's house, they found both her and her father chopping trees together. Beatrice was nowhere in sight.

When the Woodsman's daughter saw the two visitors arrive, she briefly apologised to her father before leaving him and walking towards Lorna and Auntie Whispers to greet them.

"It's nice of you to visit" Clover said afterwards. "What's the occasion?"

"What happened to the Beast?" Lorna immediately asked, so eager to finally get an actual answer she momentarily forgot all patience.

Her aunt glanced at her but didn't comment.

The Woodsman's daughter hesitated, her eyes going back and forth between her father and the visitors, before she finally whispered yet another question the other teenager absolutely did not see coming :

"Which one?"


	9. Answers

_Answers_

"Which one?" Lorna repeated. "There was more than one?"

"Not at the same time", Clover replied quietly so her father wouldn't hear. "Father killed the first one by blowing out his lantern. But then, a few months ago, someone who was lost in the woods lit it up again. She became a new Beast."

"So you and Beatrice killed her and buried her in the woods?" the girl with the bonnet guessed.

The Woodsman's daughter held her hands up as she replied :

"Her very soul was corrupted! What else could we do? She was too lost to be saved."

"I see", Auntie Whispers finally spoke. "I never knew he could do that. I guess the lantern always finds a way."

Both teenagers looked at with a confused expression.

"You haven't gotten to this part of the Tome of the Unknown yet, have you, Lorna?" the old woman continued. "The Beast and the Dark Lantern are one."

"Because it contained his soul, you mean?" Clover said.

"It _is_ his soul", Whispers corrected. "As far as I can guess…"

"Can Beatrice and I check out that tome you mentioned?" the Woodsman's daughter enquired. "And we'll talk about what we know of the second Beast. That way we all might get some answers to our questions. Just… don't tell my father. He doesn't know about the second Beast and it's best to keep it that way."

The old woman and her adopted niece agreed. Now all Clover had to do was talk to Beatrice about it.

"_You_ insisted that we shouldn't tell anyone and then _you_ tell the creepy witch and her niece?!" Beatrice shouted when her girlfriend told her about the events of the past few days.

Her dog looked up at her, probably wondering why she was being so loud and, most importantly, why had she stopped petting him.

Clover threw a pebble into the river before them.

"Shh, not so loud! And They were already suspecting us of something", she explained. "I had to make it clear that… oh, forget it. I'm sorry, I should have asked you if you were ok with-"

"It's a bit too late for that", the redhead pointed out, standing up and dusting her dress. "And what would this Whispers do if she finds out I killed her sister? Have you thought about that?"

"You said it was an accident…"

"Tell that to this witch. My siblings are annoying but if someone killed one of them, even by accident, I certainly wouldn't let the murderer get away with it."

"Maybe you should have thought of this before k-"

"I didn't have time to think of anything!" Beatrice interrupted the brunette. "I had to save my friends!"

"Fine, fine", Clover said, standing up as well. "I'll go on my own. Get my hands on the Tome of the Unknown. Maybe get some answers about a few things I've been wondering about. And if they ask anything about Adelaide I won't reveal anything, I promise. I would never let anyone hurt you."

"Yes, I know", the girl in blue whispered.

"So? Are we good?" Clover asked.

Her girlfriend nodded.

Yes, the brunette revealed information she wasn't supposed to reveal, but that didn't put them in any danger : no-one would blame them for killing the Beast. The "Adelaide incident" was something else. Something Clover had enough common sense not to reveal to the wrong person, and her girlfriend knew it.

"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot…" Beatrice said as she searched within her pocket. "I found this. I wanted to give it to you earlier but…"

She handed her partner a golden brooch shaped like a four-leaved clover.

"Is it what you took from Adelaide's house when we went there together?" Clover asked.

"…Yes."

"It better not be cursed or something", the brunette said, taking the brooch in her hand and examining it. It was beautiful but didn't seem to be magic.

"It looks so unlike anything else in Adelaide's home it caught my eye when I was looking for her scissors after Wirt and Greg escaped her", Beatrice explained. "I doubt it even belonged to her in the first place. She most likely stole it from some former visitor. And I remembered it some time later because, well, it's a _clover_."

"It's… it's beautiful… but I don't know if should accept a stolen gift…"

"Why not? You already stole my heart."

"That's the cutest and cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say", Clover laughed, putting the brooch in the pocket of her skirt and picking up her girlfriend bridal style. "What happened to your cynicism?"

"Maybe you stole that too? Also, I can walk, thank you."

Clover put her partner back on her feet, pouting. Showing off her strength would have to wait. Just like the answers to her questions.


	10. Tome

_Chapter 10 : Tome_

Clover sat at the table with Lorna. The latter laid the Tome of the Unknown flat before them and opened it.

"This is the page about the Beast", she said, pointing at it. "Most of it we already knew, but there are a few things… well, check it out for yourself."

The Woodsman's daughter leaned over the book to examine the page closely.

"'The lantern presumably created itself a body over time'…" she read aloud. "So he didn't start off like Aileen did."

"Presumably", the other girl reminded her.

Clover nodded. Her new friend was right : there was no certainty in the Unknown.

"And what about the second Beast?" she asked. "Did the lantern found it quicker to take her body and soul than to create a new body?"

"This is my theory anyway", Auntie Whispers intervened as she brought cups of tea to the table.

Her guest sat back in her chair.

"We couldn't destroy the lantern so we hid it", she explained. "We thought that at least we could avoid any other Aileen-like incident. But… the Beast might still come back some day? Can he do that if the lantern is out?"

"Even the Tome doesn't say anything about this", Lorna said.

"I'm afraid there isn't much to do about this situation" Auntie Whispers added.

"Oh, there is one thing I can do", their guest said. "I will keep a close eye on where Aileen and the Dark Lantern are buried. If the old Beast shows up once more, I'll kill him all over again. I'll kill him a thousands times if I have to."

The other two didn't reply.

Auntie Whispers served tea to everyone then sat at the table with the teenagers.

"Let's just say that… with him, it's personal", Clover explained to break the silence.

All three took their cups in their hands and drank their first sips of tea.

"Speaking of personal matters," the old woman began, putting her teacup back on the table, "would you be so kind to inform me what happened to my sister, dear?"

The guest froze. There it was. This subject couldn't be avoided forever.

"I do not know, m'am. I've never even met her."

"That's a good thing you haven't. Adelaide wasn't the type of witch you'd want to deal with. But your friend did, didn't she?"

How could she reply to that? How could she say anything that wouldn't make the old woman more suspicious than she already was?

"Only briefly. Then she disappeared. Beatrice and I have no idea what happened. Also, your tea's very good."

Clover took another sip and leaned over the Tome again, focusing on the written words, searching for new information and soaking it up.

"Why thank you, my child. And maybe I'll talk to Beatrice about it instead", Whispers said.

"I doubt you'll get much information from her either", the Woodsman's daughter stated, eyes still on the page.

_Always hidden in the shadows. Real appearance unknown. _The book was wrong on that last point now : the Beast's real form was no longer as mystery. How much of the knowledge within the Tome of the Unknown was still true? How much of it had been disproved? How much secrets were still secrets even to whoever wrote these pages? Was it a reliable source at all?

"Even if the Dark Lantern did manage to create a new body from scratch… would it be the same Beast or a completely new one like Aileen?" Clover wondered aloud.

"What makes you so sure this girl was a completely new Beast and not simply possessed by the lantern?" Lorna asked.

"Well… I'm not. All I know is she had neither her own memories nor the first Beast's. Otherwise she would have recognised me."

"I guess the Dark Lantern could not transfer memories to the new body", the old woman said. "Or didn't have the time to."

The Woodsman's daughter thought to herself that the Tome of the Unknown probably needed an updated edition to really help them uncover the mysteries of this world. Maybe they could all work on it later if they found anything more than mere guesses and theories.

She sat back in her chair again and took a long sip of tea.

Actually, she was starting to doubt they'd ever get a definite answer about how all of this really worked.

She glanced at the window and realised the sun was already setting.

"Oh, it's getting late", Clover said before quickly finishing her cup and standing up. "I should go back home now. Maybe I'll visit again soon. Thank you for letting me see the Tome. And for the tea."

Lorna and her aunt stood up as well to accompany their guest to the door.

"One last question, dear", the old woman said as she stood next to the exit, "have you ever considered becoming a witch? I can sense you have potential."

"What?" Clover replied. "What do you mean?"

"Anyone can practice witchcraft, but already having special abilities can help."

"What special ab- oh, you mean… how I can… sense things? Until recently I thought it was normal."

"There is no such thing as 'normal', child."

"If you say so", the Woodsman's daughter said. "I'll think about it. Goodbye m'am. Goodbye Lorna."

"Goodbye Clover", Auntie Whispers and her niece replied in unison as the latter opened the door to let their guest leave.

Once she was out of sight, Lorna closed the door.

"This Beatrice definitely has something to do with what happened to Adelaide", the old woman stated. "And Clover may or may not know about it. We need to catch Beatrice alone if we want to get anything from her."

The teenager simply nodded.


	11. Guests

_Chapter 11 : Guests_

Auntie Whispers and her niece visited Clover's house a couple of times during the next two weeks ; however it was only now that they managed to pop up on a day Beatrice was also visiting.

Just as planned, the old woman stayed with the Woodsman while Lorna hanged out with the other teenagers.

All three of them sat around a table, the Tome of the Unknown open before them. The adults being outside, they could talk freely. Well, almost.

After a while, Clover offered to make tea for her guests, which they both accepted. She stood up and went to the well outside, leaving Beatrice and Lorna alone.

The latter finally had the opportunity she was waiting for.

"So…" she whispered to the girl in blue, "what really happened to Adelaide?"

Oh, no, this was much too direct! It could never work.

"Good question", the redhead replied.

"I won't tell."

"Of course you won't, 'cause I don't have anything to tell you."

"Auntie Whispers told me her sister never left her house", Lorna explained. "She was afraid of the outside air. She couldn't have left voluntarily. So what happened?"

"I don't know", Beatrice insisted.

"And why did you go to her house?" the girl with the bonnet enquired.

"She promised me an item but never gave it to me. We wanted to check if she was still alive. And also get the item."

"What did she promise you, then?" Whispers' niece asked.

"Why do you care?" the other girl replied.

They were soon interrupted by their host returning with the water. She apologised for the wait while she lit a fire to make the water boil.

The opportunity to make Beatrice talk was gone and Lorna had completely blown it away. Oh dear. She had most likely ruined all of her chances…

"Are your father and Whispers still outside?" the girl in blue asked her friend across the room.

"Yes", Clover replied. "I've never seen him talk to someone for that long!"

"Yeah, your father… definitely isn't a people person. He has no social skills. At all."

"Bea!"

"Just saying. Not everyone's a people person."

Lorna observed the exchange silently as she absent-mindedly turned the pages of the book before her.

"You're so sweet when we're alone but as soon as someone else is there…" the Woodsman's daughter pointed out.

"Maybe she doesn't want to show her softer side to anyone else?" the girl in the bonnet guessed.

Even Beatrice couldn't find anything to reply to that.

It was Clover who broke the silence :

"Anyway… I hope you like Endicott brand tea."

Guests and hosts alike lost track of time at some point and were only reminded of it by the sun setting down on the forest. It was a bit too late for Lorna and Auntie Whispers to go back home now, however the cabin in the woods only had two bedrooms.

The Woodsman and his daughter agreed on two points : firstly, letting their guests stay for the night was the good thing to do, secondly, sharing their bedrooms would certainly be awkward.

Beatrice wasn't happy at all about having to share her girlfriend's bed with Lorna. This wasn't what she had planned at all.

"No clearing our heads tonight I guess", she mumbled as the three of them entered the bedroom.

Lorna couldn't help the "what?" that escaped from her mouth. Clover was blushing and looking away from the others as she quickly explained :

"It's… it's just an inside joke we have… please don't ask."

The girl with the bonnet seemed actually more confused than she was before the explanation, but she did as she was told and didn't ask any more questions.

"Anyway… Watch out for Beatrice", the Woodsman's daughter warned her guest, "she steals the cover."

"I do not!"

"I always have to steal it back from you in the middle of the night not to freeze to death. Every. Single. Time."

The redhead kept denying it stubbornly.

Meanwhile, Lorna stood next to the large bed, not knowing what to do. What was she supposed to do in a situation like this?

The teenagers were interrupted by Clover's father knocking on the door and asking if she had any spare cover, which she did. Apparently, he intended to sleep near the fireplace and leave his bed to Auntie Whispers.

"Won't you be uncomfortable sleeping like this, Father?"

The Woodsman shrugged.

"I've had worse. What about you? Will you children have enough room?"

"We'll make it work", Clover replied. "If _some people_ don't steal the cover again, that is."

Beatrice rolled her eyes.

The morning came. Hosts made breakfast for guests, everyone ate together, then it was time for Auntie Whispers and Lorna to go back home. The Woodsman decided to accompany them while Beatrice and Clover stayed to tend to the latter's vegetable garden.

"They just want to find out what happened to Adelaide", the redhead pointed out as soon as the others were gone. "Lorna asked me about it when you left us alone."

The brunette nodded. This was exactly what they had expected.

"Do you think they'll get tired eventually or not?"

"I doubt it", Beatrice replied. "At least I wouldn't."

Clover sighed.

"Can't we have friends who actually just want to be friends with us?"

Beatrice shrugged.

She then smiled when an idea struck her mind. Her girlfriend smiled back, as she had the exact same thought : they truly had the house to themselves once again, and it would last a while. They both got up and left the breakfast table.

The vegetable garden could wait.


	12. Bones

_Chapter 12 : Bones_

It was now Auntie Whispers' turn to invite the Woodsman and his family to her home.

"Why do _I_ have to go too, again?" Beatrice asked the old man as they were getting ready to leave the cabin in the woods.

"She said 'you and your family'", he reminded her. "You're part of my family."

"…You really think so?"

The Woodsman nodded. The girl in blue couldn't help but smile.

As soon as Clover had finally found where she had left her boots, they were all ready to go.

Lorna offered to make the tea this time. However, once it was ready, the other two teenagers were nowhere to be seen. The Woodsman looked outside while his hosts checked if the girls hadn't wandered upstairs.

As it turned out, they hadn't. But then, Lorna thought, what if instead they went… oh no.

She immediately dashed downstairs and found the door to the basement wasn't locked. This was bad news. Very bad news. They saw. They saw all the bones. All the reminders of a period of her life she would rather forget.

She rushed into the basement ; when she found the other two girls standing in front of the neatly piled bones she was too short of breath to speak immediately.

"Oh, Lorna, here you are", Clover said when she noticed her host was there, turning around to face her. "Sorry, we just wanted to, hum… talk…alone and… we found this. Are you alright? You don't look alright."

"And why is this ossuary here of all places?" Beatrice enquired. "That's a pretty weird thing to have in a house, don't you think?"

"It wasn't me, I swear! It was the evil spirit!" the girl with the bonnet blurted out.

The others replied with a perfectly synchronised "what?"

The ossuary remained silent for maybe a minute, but it felt like hours.

Lorna had said way too much to be able to back down now : they would ask her questions. So she replied before they could ask.

"…And then he banished the evil spirit", she said after a lengthy explanation. "It's all over now. Now we can have visitors."

"That's… pretty heavy stuff", Clover commented, staring at the bones of the unfortunate visitors who came here before her friend was cured.

"First of, your Aunt should have asked the spirit to leave a long time ago, second of… you've met Wirt and Greg too? I travelled with them!"

"Am I the only one in the Unknown who never met these two?" the Woodsman's daughter asked. "Also, Beatrice is right ; your Aunt could have cured you a long time ago…"

"…She didn't think it was possible. Especially since the evil spirit had always been there."

"I didn't expect a soul like yours to have such dark secrets…" Clover said, her hand approaching the piles of bones but never actually touching it.

"Speaking of dark secrets…" Lorna started.

"Are you going to ask about Adelaide again?" Beatrice interrupted her.

"Whatever you did cannot be worse than what the spirit made me do", her host pointed out. "And you don't have anything to fear from Auntie Whispers : she never really got along with her sister. She only wants to know what happened."

"You know what?" the girl in blue said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Fine. She melted from exposure to _night air_. Because I left a window open. Happy?"

"…That's… that's it?" Lorna asked, surprised to have finally succeeded in getting information.

"Yes", Beatrice replied. "Can we leave this creepy room and put all of these deaths behind us now?"


	13. Apprentice

_ Chapter 13 : Apprentice_

"Are you sure you're ok with it?" Beatrice asked Auntie Whispers again as everyone was back in the living room for tea time.

"Yes, my dear. At least my sister won't be able to turn anyone into her puppet now", the old woman pointed out.

The redhead still couldn't quite believe it. Yes, Adelaide had it coming, but she still didn't expect Whispers to be so calm about it. She was seeking truth regarding her sister's fate but didn't show any sign of seeking vengeance.

Though, Beatrice still wasn't entirely convinced. She carefully observed the witch's every move in case she'd spontaneously decided to attack her or poison her drink.

"Plus you said you only left the window open. You couldn't have known."

The girl in blue didn't dare explain that she actually did more than just leave the window open.

"Anyway…" the old woman continued, turning to Clover, "since the Unknown lost one of its witches, maybe you could…"

"Replace her?" the Woodsman's daughter finished.

"Not quite, my child. No-one really is replaceable. But you can take up the slot Adelaide left."

"This won't lead to anything dangerous, is it?" the Woodsman intervened.

"Not if your daughter doesn't want it to."

"Don't worry, Father", Clover said, "I know how to take care of myself."

Beatrice opened her mouth to point out her girlfriend did take care of herself for several years while her father was out there chopping Edelwood, but closed it when she realised the subject must be way too sensitive.

The old man nodded.

"I will show you the basics if you wish", Auntie Whispers told Clover, "but you will have to learn the rest by yourself."

"Would that make me your apprentice?"

"Yes."

It was decided Clover would go to Auntie Whisper's once a week to learn the basics of witchcraft. Progress was slow, but they had all the time they needed anyway.

One morning, the witch's apprentice and her father arrived at the old mill. They were first welcomed by Beatrice's parents. Clover did just enough small talk to seem polite before looking for her girlfriend inside.

The girl in blue was currently preparing breakfast for her younger siblings in the kitchen. When the other girl entered, she dropped what she was doing immediately to greet her with a hug.

"Hey, you've seen each other only three days ago, calm down!" one of Beatrice's brothers joked.

The brunette couldn't remember his name. Actually, she could never remember any of Beatrice's siblings' names but she was too ashamed to say it out loud.

"Cut it off, Carl", the girl in blue replied, letting go of her girlfriend.

"And what are you gonna do, turn us all into-"

"Can we please get past this now?"

Clover cut the siblings' conversation short by reminding Beatrice that the food might burn if she left it unattended for too long. The girl in blue immediately went back to her previous task, finished it then led her girlfriend outside, to their spot on the river bank, holding her hand as soon as none of her relatives could see them.

"They're never gonna let the bluebird incident thing down, are they?" the brunette laughed as she and her partner sat on the ground.

"This and the whole 'you spend more time with Clover than with us' thing my parents keep bringing up", the redhead replied.

"They're starting to notice something only now? My father had guessed pretty early on that we were dating…"

"He only has one child to pay attention to. Between all my younger siblings and their work at the mill, they don't have much time to pay attention to me."

"Oh…"

"So, how's being a witch's apprentice going?" the girl in blue enquired.

"Pretty good", Clover said. "Actually…"

With her free hand, she produced a small wooden bracelet from her pocket and gave it to the other girl.

"We made this!" she told her.

"You mean you and Whispers?" Beatrice asked.

"No, actually. Lorna made the bracelet and I enchanted it."

The girl in blue took the bracelet in her free hand and examined it.

"I didn't know Lorna made jewellery", she said.

"'Told me that now that she doesn't have to keep doing chores all day she has more time to learn new things", Clover explained. "Oh, and this should protect you from curses."

"'Would have been useful to have sooner…" the redhead pointed out.

She temporarily let go of her girlfriend's hand only to put her gift on her left wrist.

Then a loud scream of pure terror made itself heard in the distance.

"Carl?" Beatrice called, immediately standing up but losing balance as her partner didn't follow fast enough.

They both got up and went towards the house, searching for the source of the noise.

They found Beatrice's brother standing outside behind the house, right next to a dead deer that certainly did not die from old age. It had been partially eaten by… something. And it looked quite fresh.

The girl in blue asked her brother if he was alright ; the witch's apprentice closed her eyes, trying to focus. She could feel something nearby. Or rather, _someone_. She opened her eyes again and looked north.

"Lor-" she started to call but interrupted herself almost immediately. "Wait, no, that's not her…"

"You sense something?" Beatrice guessed.

"Whatever it is, it's dangerous", Clover stated. "Let's go back inside."


	14. The Spirit

_Chapter 14 : The Spirit_

Several residents of Pottsfield had recently dug up bones which did not belong there.

They were hidden in the corn fields instead of the burial site and not even attached together. They did not move. They did not belong to any citizen of the town.

At least that's what the talking black cat told Beatrice and Clover as they were seeking some supplies for the latter.

"Probably the remains of some lost travellers who met a terrible fate", the cat continued.

Beatrice had recognised his voice right away. She wondered how on earth he could move that giant costume he had the first time she visited, but they had more pressing matter to deal with right now.

"Do you think the evil spirit did all that?" the girl in blue asked her girlfriend.

"I wouldn't be surprised", the latter replied. "We're gonna need Whisper's help to get rid of it for good."

"Now, now, children…" Enoch intervened, "you do not have to destroy every single murderous spirit roaming the Unknown. You could meet a fate worse than death."

"I thought you were frustrated to find 'unusable' skeletons in the middle of your corn fields?" Beatrice reminded him.

"I cannot stop you", the black cat replied, jumping down from the barrel he was sitting on and onto the floor of the barn, "but if you get yourselves devoured by this spirit we might not be able to reanimate you. Unless we manage to put all your bones back together somehow."

"Don't worry about us, Enoch", Clover said, adjusting the strap of her leather bag on her shoulder. "It wouldn't be the first time we've dealt with evil spirits."

"I see… So, you got everything you need?"

The brunette checked the inside of her bag one last time and nodded.

The girls said goodbye to the cat before leaving Pottsfield.

Clover and Beatrice went back to the former's vegetable garden, planted some of the seeds they got in Pottsfield, washed their hands with the water from the well and finally entered the cabin proper.

Tomorrow would be Clover's weekly lesson with Auntie Whispers.

"I'll go with you this time" Beatrice decided. "If we're going to talk to them about the evil spirit, I want to be there. That thing traumatised my brother and maybe almost killed Wirt and Greg ; I'll do anything I can to destroy it."

"Your brother and friends aren't the only victims here", the witch's apprentice reminded her.

"I know, I know…"

"Anyway, it's a bit late for you to go back home so…"

"So I'll stay the night and prove my parents right about me spending more time here than in my own home", the girl in blue finished.

"Is that really a problem?" Clover asked.

Her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her and started gently playing with a strand of her long brown hair.

"It's all worth it", Beatrice stated before slightly leaning down to touch Clover's lips with her own.

When the Woodsman entered the cabin, he found the two teenagers kissing in the living room. They instinctively parted and the old man promptly mumbled an apology before going into the next room to give them some privacy.

"Well that was a bit awkward" Clover laughed, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

"Could be worse", Beatrice replied, playing with the other girl's hair again. "Had it been _my_ parents interrupting us I would never hear the end of it."

"What do you think they'd do if they found out?"

"I'm not sure actually."

"At first I even thought it was you, Lorna", Clover said as she was explaining the situation to her hosts, "but… it wasn't. It was like a twisted version of your soul."

"So we thought maybe it could be the evil spirit that used to possess you", Beatrice added, tapping her fingers on the wooden table the three teenagers and the old woman were sitting around. "Wirt made it leave but he didn't destroy it, right?"

Lorna nodded and looked away.

"We need the bell", the redhead continued.

"We do not have it anymore", Auntie Whispers explained. "The frog swallowed it."

Beatrice facepalmed.

"So the boys brought the bell home with them", Clover concluded. "Anyone has any idea where they are now?"

"Out of the Unknown, most likely", the witch replied. "They came from the other world, just like you children did."

The room fell silent. The three teenagers had been in the Unknown for so long their memories of their former lives before ending up there were a bit fuzzy, and those concerning how they arrived in this world in the first place were most likely lost forever.

"Wait", Lorna finally spoke, standing up and going straight to her room.

She got back to the living room with the Tome of the Unknown in her hands.

"There is something in here about a way to go to the other world", she told the others as she laid the book on the table and flipped its pages. "But only one of us can go, and it doesn't say for how long."

"Can I go?" the Woodsman's daughter asked. "I'd like to meet Wirt and Greg too. Everyone else has!"

"And how are you going to recognise them if you've never seen them?" her girlfriend pointed out.

"Besides, I cannot cast the spell alone", Whispers stated. "You'll have to help me, Clover my dear."

The witch's apprentice reluctantly agreed. However, they had yet to decide who would go look for the boys : Beatrice or Lorna.

Before they started debating about it, Clover took a coin from the leather bag resting on her lap and suggested the other teenage girls pick head or tails.

Then they tossed the coin and Beatrice won.


	15. Retrouvailles

_Chapter 15 : Retrouvailles_

Beatrice found herself in a cemetery, standing on a grave.

She stepped away from it and moved forward ; as much as she'd love to explore this world and see how much had changed in her absence, the bell took priority, and she highly doubted she would find it in a graveyard.

She froze when she reached the gate. The world beyond those rusty bars was so different from what little she remembered the teenager wondered if she really was in the right place. Everything from the unnatural glow of the street lights to the horseless vehicles moving around noisily to the architecture of the buildings boggled her mind far more than anything she had ever encountered in the Unknown.

Was this the right world? Or had it changed that much while she was gone? How long had she spent in the Unknown?

Beatrice tried to open the gate but her hand phased through the bars.

"What the?" she wondered aloud.

Was it some kind of side-effect of the spell? The witch didn't say anything about side-effects. Most likely because she didn't know herself.

The girl in blue took a step back then moved forwards again, phasing through the gate as though it wasn't even there.

She tried to touch the cemetery wall to check if the same phenomenon happened ; her fingers phase through the stone all the same. Maybe she wouldn't have to worry about avoiding being hit by one of those strange metal carts while crossing the road then.

However, another problem presented itself after Beatrice crossed the road, when she found someone walking on the sidewalk.

"Hum, excuse me, I'm looking for…"

She trailed off when she noticed the other person's total lack of reaction. She called again, waved her hand in front of their face, placed herself in front of them, but they just kept walking as though she wasn't even there. When they literally walked right through her, Beatrice gave up on asking this person for direction.

Well, great. How could she find Wirt and Greg in this weird town and get the bell if she was basically a ghost?

"Who's that girl in the blue dress?" Greg asked, pointing towards the opposite sidewalk as he kept walking beside Wirt and Sara. "She's looking at us."

"What girl?" Sara replied. "I don't see anyone there."

The little boy didn't expect that answer. How could she not notice? She was right there! She was even crossing the road right now, running towards them!

"But she's-" he said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as the girl in blue joined them and stood right behind them.

"Hey, I had imaginary friends too, it's ok", his brother's girlfriend told the little boy. "You'll play with yours at home."

Wirt let go of Sara's hand, crouched down so his face was at Greg's level and whispered :

"I see her too. Don't say anything."

The little boy nodded. It was a game then? What kind of game was it? Did Wirt and Sara know that other teenager? He had many more questions, but his brother told him not to say anything and he didn't want to be a cheater.

The teenage boy stood and took his girlfriend's hand in his again before saying aloud :

"Maybe we could… invite your imaginary friend home too?"

"I'm right here, Wirt", the girl in blue pointed out, resting her fist on her waist.

Greg's eyes went wide as he recognised Beatrice's voice. He went very close to break to break the silence rule.

Everyone resumed walking home in silence. Both brothers regularly took quick glances at their friend behind them while Sara still didn't seem to notice her.

It was only once Greg was in his room and Wirt had left his girlfriend downstairs to join them that the boys finally stopped pretending that Beatrice was imaginary.

"Good thing you two can see me", she pointed out. "No-one else here can."

"How did you come here?" Wirt asked. "Is everything alright?"

"I need Auntie Whispers' bell. You still have it, right?"

"Yeah", Greg replied, breaking the silence rule since his older brother had broken it first. "We had to have it removed from Jason Funderburker and then Wirt put it in his room."

"Great", Beatrice said. "Give it to me."

"But…" the older brother hesitated.

"But what?"

"It's… our only proof that we didn't just imagine everything that happened."

"Wirt, the evil spirit is back and I need to save my brother. And everyone else too. We don't have much time. If you really want it, I can bring it back later."

Wirt simply nodded and rushed to his own room right across the hallway to fetch the magic bell.


	16. Graves

_Chapter 16 : Graves_

For a moment Beatrice worried that she might not be able to even touch the bell, but her fingers closed around it without phasing through. She decided to think about how and why once this whole affair was over.

"I guess you have to go then?" Wirt asked.

"Already?" Greg added.

"Yeah. But this is the first time we've tested the spell so I'm not really sure how."

"Why don't you just go back the way you came from?" the younger brother suggested.

"The graveyard?" Beatrice said.

"How would I explain to Sara-" the older brother started before interrupting himself. "Wait, maybe we could just…"

They waited until everyone else was asleep to sneak out and walk to the graveyard.

"That was amazing!" Greg exclaimed when Beatrice phased through the gate. "Can you do that again?"

She turned around and extended her hand so it went through the metal bars. The child was amazed at "finally seeing a real ghost" ; however his older brother was staring at the graveyard behind her while keeping his distance from the gate.

"Wirt?" Greg and Beatrice asked in unison.

"Sorry, I just- I mean, it's the first time we go back to this place since… since we almost died", the teenage boy replied.

"But we didn't die", his little brother pointed out while trying to open the now locked gate. "Nothing can stop us!"

As if to prove his point, he started climbing the stone wall to get into the graveyard.

It wasn't the same wall, but Wirt still couldn't suppress the uneasy feeling in his guts.

He grabbed his brother and offered him to climb onto his back so they could ascend that wall together nonetheless.

"Are we going to go over the other wall again?" Greg asked as he and his brother landed safely on the ground.

"Probably not", Beatrice replied, "I arrived _inside_ the graveyard after all."

They all walked in silence for a few minutes, Wirt holding his little brother's hand so he wouldn't wander off.

"Hey look, this one has Unkie Endicott's name on it!" Greg pointed out as they walked past yet another grave.

They all stopped right there and then to look at the gravestone. It certainly wasn't recent : none of the graves in this old cemetery were.

"…This makes a lot of sense, actually", Wirt stated.

"Finding Endicott's grave here makes sense?" Beatrice said.

Wirt kept staring at the name in the stone as he explained :

"We were drowning in the river when we ended up in the Unknown. I still don't really know _how_ we left, but when we did… I woke up still in the river. I barely had the time to grab Greg and get out of the water. Then you show up here as a ghost. And now…"

"…No", the teenage girl whispered. "That can't be right."

"Maybe we can find your grave, Beatrice" Greg suggested.

He let go of his brother's hand and dashed further into the graveyard before anyone could do or say anything.

Wirt ran after him ; Beatrice remained frozen in place for a moment. She couldn't be dead, right? And there was no way everyone she knew also was…

Or was there?

They found the little boy at the same spot Beatrice appeared in this world. Here in the stone were engraved the names of her family as well as her own.

"They all died the same year?" Greg asked, pointing at the dates.

He might not be able to read high numbers like this yet, but he could still see that the dates of death looked the same.

"I don't know", the ghost replied. "I don't remember."

"I'm sorry" Wirt said.

"It's ok", Beatrice reassured him. "I guess it does make a lot of sense after all."

Also, dead or not, she still had a job to do.

"Goodbye Wirt. Goodbye Greg."

The boys said goodbye back.

She clutched the bell tightly in her hand as she stepped forward to stand on her family's grave.

Next thing she knew, she was back at Auntie Whispers' with seemingly no transition at all.

"Did you find it?" Clover asked. "That was quick."

The girl in blue extended her hand to show the item within it.

Seemingly no time had passed in the Unknown since she left it and yet Beatrice still didn't want to waste any before going back to the mill.


	17. Past & Present

_Chapter 17 : Past &amp; Present_

The spirit still hungered. She shouldn't logically be able to feel hunger without a body and yet she did, like an amputee can still feel the limb they lost.

She couldn't go back to her body : the bell had explicitly commanded her to "go away and don't come back". Maybe she could find a new host? Could she even inhabit someone other than Lorna?

It wouldn't hurt to try. Probably. Well, it would hurt _someone_, just not her.

For now, the only creatures she could see in this part of the Unknown were a few black turtles and squirrels. This wouldn't do for a predator like herself who needed to leave nothing of her preys but perfectly clean bones.

An owl hooted in the distance. It was better than nothing.

The spirit stole the body of the owl. It was much easier to do than she expected, and now she could fly silently to kill from above.

However, this body was way too small for a hunger that great. She needed bigger preys and a bigger body, so she started looking for both of these.

She caught and devoured a few rodents on her way to find yet another host. She eventually found a wolf and stole its body so she could devour more flesh.

She went on like this for some time, regularly changing location in order to never run out of prey.

One day, she got way too close to a house next to a river, and one of its young inhabitants found her prey. She didn't even get the time to finish it.

The child's screams attracted two teenage girls. She didn't know either of them, yet she could swear that, as she was fleeing into the woods, she heard one of them call Lorna's name. Or at least part of it before falling silent.

_Feeding now. Questions later._

"So… how was the other world?" Clover asked Beatrice as they were on their way to the mill with Lorna and the Woodsman.

"Very different from what I remembered", Beatrice replied. "The street lights looked… unnatural, in a way. And there were horseless carts that moved way too fast and made way too much noise. We've been away from it for so long… it's nothing like what we knew."

"I see…"

"And…" the girl in blue started. "Nevermind. We'll talk about that once the spirit problem is solved."

"What is it, Bea?"

"Did you listen to what I just said?"

The Woodsman's daughter fell silent again. If her girlfriend really didn't want to talk about whatever was on her mind right now, she couldn't force her.

"Anyway, I'd like to see this world again some day", she said. "You know. Seeing how much it has changed, meeting your friends…"

Clover had fond memories of that world even though she had that uneasy feeling in her guts that whatever happened right before she and her father found themselves in the Unknown, it had been anything but pleasant. And it just might be her fault.

Either way, it wasn't because of the past that she wanted to go there, but indeed to see how it was in the present. And also-

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when she felt a familiar presence nearby. She froze right there and then in the middle of the path, trying to focus.

Slowly, she slid her hand into her shoulder bag, grabbing what was inside and holding firmly onto it.

The others looked around, not saying a word but understanding what was happening.

"It's going away", Clover whispered. "Over here."

They followed the direction given, going deeper into the woods after the monster.

Soon, with the power of the bell, it would finally be stopped for good.

Were these humans seriously chasing her?

_Fine_, the spirit thought. She would let them think they could actually do anything to her. She would let them find her after a few moments.

And then devour them and place the bones somewhere else. Old habits die hard.

Maybe she would spare Lorna though, for old times' sake. Or devour her anyway to prove herself that she had moved on and this girl she used to be a part of in the past was no longer part of her present.

She hadn't decided yet.


	18. The Wolf

_Chapter 18 : The Wolf_

They finally found the evil spirit in a wolf body.

It looked just like a regular wolf, but Clover knew better and the others trusted her perceptions.

She slowly pulled her axe from her bag and the animal growled ; Beatrice produced the bell from her pocket and the monster pounced on her, making her fall on her back and the bell fly out of her hand. Both Clover and father her rushed to Beatrice's help immediately, pushing the creature away.

It now looked more like a demon right out of the pits of hell than a wolf.

It got back up on its legs, its eyes glowing bright and its teeth so big they could no longer fit in its mouth. It leapt again, and this time it looked like it was flying.

"Don't you dare hurt my daughter-in-law!" the Woodsman shouted as he grabbed the monster by its hind legs and threw it against a nearby tree.

Lorna spotted the bell on the ground and ran to pick it up while the evil spirit was distracted.

It felt so strange, holding it in her hand, shaking it, seeing its glow and hearing its familiar ringing without being compelled to obey it.

The monster stopped moving and just floated in mid-air, its eyes glowing brighter to respond to the bell.

"The… the ringing of the bell commands you! Leave this wolf and never take a body ever again! Never hurt anyone or anything ever again!"

This time, Lorna got to actually witness the spirit that had possessed her for so long leave its host to take the form of a screaming face in the fog before disappearing, only leaving an unconscious wolf and a bell she hopped to never see again.

"Is the wolf ok?" asked Beatrice as she got back up on her feet and dusted herself off. "It doesn't look ok."

"I had to protect you", the Woodsman reminded her.

"I know. Thank you."

"I think we might be able to heal it", Clover said. "You got everything at the mill, right?"

The girl in blue nodded and the old man slowly picked the animal up, careful not to hurt it further.

"We should hurry then", he said, carrying the still unconscious wolf on his back as he walked.

The three girls followed him in silence. That is, until Lorna asked :

"Now that it's… over… why did you call Beatrice your daughter-in-law?"

"…It slipped out. I'm sorry, girls…"

"Well, I guess that's what I am, right?" Beatrice added.

Clover put her axe back into her bag and took her girlfriend's hand in hers.

"After all that happened today and happens daily in the Unknown, _this _is what surprises you, Lorna?" she pointed out.

The girl with the bonnet had to admit she had a good point.

Also, a few other things made a bit more sense now.

"Just… don't tell my parents", Beatrice told her. "That's my job."

"I promise", Lorna replied. "And also…"

She handed the bell to the girl in blue.

"I guess you can give it back to Wirt now", she explained. "It won't be needed again. I hope."

"We cannot keep a _wolf_ here", Beatrice's mother reminded her as her daughter looked for medical supplies in their house. "This is not a dog."

"I never said I wanted to keep it, mom. As soon as it's healed we'll let it go."

What the teenager didn't mention was that it would probably take a while to repair broken bones.

Clover and her gathered what they needed and went back into the mill, as it was the only place where they could take care of the wolf without being bothered by the dog. Inside, Lorna and the Woodsman were watching over the wounded animal.

"…My only concern is that my daughter is happy", they heard the old man say. "And she is. I want her to be able to be herself without living in constant fear that her own family might reject her. No-one should have to live that way."

"Yes, I see what you mean…" Lorna replied.

Beatrice and Clover climbed the ladder to reach the other two.

The girl in blue had a bit more experience treating wounded animals since she had to take care of her dog after accidents before, so she decided to take the present matter into her own hands.


	19. After the Fight

_Chapter 19 : After the Fight_

Three days later, the Woodsman was still looking after the wounded wolf. It had unsuccessfully tried to stand up a few times and started eating again, but full recovery would be slow.

"Here, take this, it'll help you", the man told the wolf as he fed it some meat from the kitchen.

He stood up when he heard someone climb the ladder to join him.

"Hello, Father", Clover greeted him. "I got something for our patient! Whispers said it'll help him recover faster."

The old man handed his daughter the wolf's water bowl for her to pour the potion into. He then set it back down.

Father and daughter sat next to each other on the chairs that had been placed up there just for them.

"I heard what you said the other day… you know, about not having to fear your own family's rejection?"

The Woodsman remained silent.

"I just… wanted to say thank you", Clover continued. "For everything."

"It's my role as a father to provide a safe space for you. And I don't want you to go through what I went through when I was young."

"You're like me?" she asked.

"I loved your mother deeply", he explained, "but I also… had one or two relationships with other men. Not at the same time."

"Oh, so you're not like me", Clover concluded. "I only like other girls. You- wait a minute, was that why that one neighbour visited our house so often when I was little?"

Her father averted his gaze.

Their pre-Unknown life felt like centuries away, and given the strange way time passed there, maybe it really was. Either way, they rarely talked about it. Maybe now was the right time to do so.

"I had a thing for Mary at the time", the teenager said. "You remember her? She was the other neighbours' daughter."

"Of course I remember. Her parents came to me to accuse you of witchcraft once."

"Really?"

"That's why we moved away."

"They came way too early then", Clover laughed.

Her father couldn't help but smile a little.

He pushed the water bowl slightly closer to the wolf so it could reach it more easily. His daughter shifted in her seat to find a more comfortable position.

"Father?" she asked. "What… what was Mother like?"

The Woodsman remained silent for a full minute before he finally sat up, turned to his daughter and told her :

"She was the kindest, most gentle person I've ever known. She could make anyone smile… except herself."

"I wish I could have known her."

"So do I, Clover. So do I."

Once the wolf had fully recovered, they let it go just as promised.

Beatrice, Clover and the Woodsman then headed out to Auntie Whispers' house. Just like Lorna suggested, Beatrice was sent back to the other world to give the bell to Wirt as a souvenir from the Unknown.

"Oh, hello again", Greg said when the ghost appeared in the graveyard. "Did you forget something?"

It looked like the brothers hadn't even moved since the last time she saw them.

"It's been days on my side", the girl in blue said.

"Not here", Wirt explained. "To us, you literally just left. Just like… when Greg and I came back. We'd been lost in the Unknown for a while but here it had been, like, maybe a minute?"

"Anyway, we used the bell and things are back to normal."

"I don't think 'normal' is the right word", the teenage boy pointed out.

"You can have this back", Beatrice told him, handing him the bell. "Lorna didn't want to keep it."

"What about your brother?"

Oh, that's right. She had told them that…

"…He's fine. Everyone is fine. And Lorna and the Woodsman told me to say hello."

"Can we see them again without almost dying?" Greg asked. "I miss everybody."

"I don't think so", Beatrice replied. "You better just wait until I come visit you."

"Ain't that just the way", the little boy said.

Wirt stored the bell in his pocket.

"And… what happened to the Woodsman after we left?" he asked.

"Long story short, he killed the Beast, got back to his own home and family, and… I guess you could say he's my father-in-law now?"

It still felt a bit weird to think of it that way.

Both brothers raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"I guess I should go now", Beatrice said. "Maybe I'll visit you two again some day."

Wirt nodded and grabbed his brother's hand, ready to leave the graveyard for good. They all said goodbye and a second later she was back in the Unknown.

She had put off revealing what she learned on her first visit long enough. She needed to talk to someone about it. Someone who could help her make sense of everything.


	20. Tree

_Chapter 20 : Tree_

"May I speak with you a moment?" Auntie Whispers asked the Woodsman before leading him outside, leaving the girls around the table inside her house.

"I wanted to ask her something"… Beatrice muttered.

After noticing the curious looks from the other two, she added : "I mean, she knows stuff, right?"

"It's about the other world", Clover guessed.

"I was… like a ghost there. And I found a grave with my family's names on it. I think we just might… be all long dead."

"Then how come people can die in the Unknown?" the Woodsman's daughter asked. "I mean, if everyone's already dead…"

"…You're really calm about it", Beatrice observed.

"We all know something's not right about this world and how we all ended up here. If death is what brought us here, it would explain a few things, I guess."

"Auntie Whispers told me about all this", Lorna spoke.

The other two turned to her, eager to hear an explanation for everything.

"Souls from the other world can enter the Unknown when they're close to dying. When they die in the Unknown, they also die in their world. But she wasn't sure whether the reverse was true."

"You mean I'm dead in the world we're from, but maybe not here for some reason", said the girl in blue.

"I'll take this explanation", Clover decided. "The idea that we can die twice is still weird, but then again, this whole world is weird."

"That's really the only explanation we have?" Beatrice asked Lorna.

The latter nodded.

The Woodsman's daughter stood up and went to the window to check what her father and Auntie Whispers were doing. The other girls soon joined her.

"I wonder how different things would have been had we known back then…" she thought aloud.

"…Speaking of death, we haven't checked Aileen's grave in a while", Beatrice remembered. "With all these spirit chasing and travelling to other worlds and…"

"We'll visit her tomorrow", Clover decided.

Surely enough, the following day Beatrice and Clover (Lorna hadn't been able to accompany them) went back to where they had buried Aileen's body.

Most of the turtles seemed to be gone, and an Edelwood tree had grown on the unmarked forest grave. It was about as tall Clover was.

They stared at it in silence for what felt like an eternity.

"…These things grow fast", Beatrice whispered, finally breaking the silence.

The other girl slowly walked to the Edelwood and lightly touched the bark with her fingertips.

"I'm sorry Aileen…" she said, looking into the hollow eyes in the tree trunk.

"We had no choice", her girlfriend reminded her.

Clover nodded slightly.

"She already was an empty shell of her former self before… before becoming a hollow tree", she thought aloud. "Before we blew out the lantern."

The redhead said nothing ; however she walked to the other girl and put her hand on her shoulder.

"We should check the lantern now", Clover said.

They both said goodbye to Aileen before walking away and towards the place where they had buried the Dark Lantern. It felt strange to see the place with so few black turtles now. Sure, some were still here, but most were gone.

Neither teenager was sure whether this was a good or bad omen.

And when they reached the place, all they found was a hole someone had dug without bothering to fill up again. And no more turtles.

Clover crouched down next to the hole to examine it more closely.

"What happened?" asked Beatrice. "The only other people who knew it was here are Lorna and Whispers and they were busy with the evil spirit problem too!"

"And they'd know better than to touch it. Someone else must have noticed something and dug up the lantern. Let's hope they don't light it up…"


	21. Newcomer

_Chapter 21 : Newcomer_

Unfortunately, any tracks that could have been left by whoever dug up the lantern had already been washed away by rain before Clover and Beatrice found out.

"They could be anywhere by now!" the latter pointed out as the cabin in the woods came into view.

"What are you talking about?" the Woodsman's voice came from nearby.

He appeared to have been working outside, as he still had his axe in hand.

"Nothing important, Father", his daughter told him. "Are you done with your work?"

The old man nodded and then accompanied the girls inside.

All three made and ate dinner together. It was only after adult and teens went to their own rooms that Beatrice said to her girlfriend :

"'Nothing important'? That wasn't very creative of you."

"I didn't hear _you_ come up with anything better."

"I thought that talking about it any longer than that would have been… pretty counter-productive. If you say something's not important but then keep talking about it, no-one's gonna believe you."

Clover nodded and started getting ready for bed. Her partner followed and soon joined her under the cover to cuddle together. Beatrice rested her head on Clover's chest and Clover caressed Beatrice's hair.

"Bea? There's something important I have to tell you…"

"What?"

"I love you. That's all."

"That was so cheesy… but I love you anyway."

They went back to the mill the day after. Beatrice and Clover sat at their usual spot on the riverbank, and the dog soon joined them to lie in the dirt next to his master. The latter scratched him behind his ears absentmindedly.

"So, we have no idea where to start and we can't talk about it to your father", she said. "We're off to a very good start…"

"My father has had more than enough lantern and Beast-related stuff in his life", Clover stated.

Her partner said nothing since she couldn't argue against this.

With her free hand, Beatrice took her girlfriend's and they stared at the flowing water, listening to its calming sound without saying a word. Clover rubbed the back of the other girl's hand with her thumb, and she responded by squeezing harder.

Beatrice eventually let go, but only to take her partner's face in both her hands. Seeing the other smile, the girl in blue pulled Clover towards her, closing the gap between them and touching her lips with her own.

Then the dog stood up, gave one bark and bolted right into the woods nearby.

The girls parted and stood up.

"What is it?" Beatrice shouted. "You better have a good reason for this!"

The dog soon reappeared, followed by a person that seemed to be in their twenties. They wore a grey long-sleeved top and black trousers whose cut and material were pretty uncommon in the Unknown but, from Beatrice had seen, were used a lot in the other world.

"S-sorry", they apologised, "I was just…"

"Let me guess", the girl in blue said. "You're lost with no idea of how you got here."

"…How do you know?"

"It's not the first time this happens around here", Clover explained.

The stranger looked even more confused.

"That's the Unknown for you", Beatrice added. "But don't just stand there : follow us to my home."

The girls guided the newcomer to the mill, where they were quickly introduced to Beatrice's mother.

"Please do take a seat, young… lady…man…" she hesitated.

"Just call me Myung, m'am", the stranger sighed.

"Yes. I'm very sorry. Please take a seat, Myung, I'll take care of everything."

Myung sat down at the living room table and Beatrice's mother disappeared into the kitchen.

The two teenagers sat with the new guest, soon joined by a couple of Beatrice's younger siblings.

Myung nervously pulled on their long sleeves as they waited at the table. They were completely lost, and not just in a literal sense.

What was this place? How did they even get there? They didn't even remember going in the woods in the first place. And why were these people all wearing Regency-era clothes?

Well, except this one brown-haired girl, but her attire still looked pretty old-timey. They just weren't sure what time period it was from.

They looked around, trying to ignore the two little kids staring at them. The house itself looked like it was from the past too, and they couldn't help but think something was missing… Oh, yes, lightbulbs and stuff like that. There wasn't any.

"Hum, sorry, but… do you have a phone here or…?" Myung asked.

"What's a phone?" one of the kids asked.

"Ok, so you guys really don't- Did I time-travel somehow?"

"Time is… a bit strange here in the Unknown if that answers your question", the brunette replied.

"…That raises even _more_ questions", the newcomer pointed out.

The other shrugged.

"By the way, how should we address you?" she asked. "Besides your name, I mean."

"I use they/them pronouns."

She nodded, stood up, said something about going to look for her father, and then left the room.

"At least _that_ went pretty well", Myung thought aloud. "Usually people don't just accept my pronouns that easily."

"Believe me, we've had to accept a lot of things", the teenager in the blue dress told them, "and you're literally the_ least_ weird one here."

"And… is that supposed to be a good thing or…?"

She shrugged in response.


End file.
